A. 1. The assessment imposed pursuant to the provisions of the Boll Weevil Eradication Act shall be levied on a cotton grower at the time of sale and shall be collected and remitted to the board of directors by the cotton gin serving as the selling agent for the cotton produced. The cotton gins shall furnish monthly reports to the board of directors on or before the fifteenth day of each month regarding the assessments collected, pay all of the assessments collected each month, and furnish the board with any other information reasonably requested by it to ensure the collection of the assessments for each grower.

2. Pursuant to the provisions of the Boll Weevil Eradication Act no cotton shall be subject to assessment of a fee more than once.

B. 1. The cotton gin serving as selling agent for the cotton grower shall collect the assessment in the same manner as ginning costs are deducted from the purchase price of the cotton or from any funds advanced for that purpose.

2. The board of directors, by registered or certified mail, shall notify each cotton gin of the duty to collect the assessment, the manner in which the assessment is to be collected, and the date on or after which the cotton gin is to begin collecting the assessment, the date by which an accounting of all assessments collected and paid will be submitted, and the date by which the balance of previously collected assessment shall be paid.

3. The amount of the assessment collected shall be clearly shown on the sales invoice or other document evidencing the transaction. The cotton gin, as the seller's agent, shall furnish a copy of the document to the cotton grower.

C. 1. The cotton gin may rely upon the information or certification provided by the board of directors to the cotton gin regarding cotton acres and other related information as deemed necessary by the board of directors in determining the amount of assessment due and owing from the cotton grower.

2. A cotton gin that uses due diligence in collecting an assessment from a cotton grower based upon information or a certification provided by the board of directors regarding the cotton grower shall be relieved of any liability for any errors or omissions in the assessment should it be determined that the assessment was inaccurate.

3. The provisions contained in this section apply to all cotton gins located in the State of Oklahoma or in any other state. Any gin that, whether by design or inadvertent act, fails to forward to the board of directors by June 1 of each year an accounting of all assessments collected and paid, as well as payment for all assessments previously collected but not paid, shall be subject to an administrative penalty or fine pursuant to the Boll Weevil Eradication Act.

D. Every cotton grower shall keep accurate production records on the amount of cotton ginned and the number of acres planted and harvested for a minimum of two (2) years. Copies shall be furnished to any authorized agent of the board of directors or the State Board of Agriculture at any time during reasonable business hours of the cotton grower immediately upon oral request, or within ten (10) working days of any written request.

E. Failure to pay the required assessment or any remaining amount due shall result in an administrative penalty or fine to the grower, or other legal action to the grower or to the cotton gin when the assessment has been collected from the cotton grower.

Added by Laws 1997, c. 381, § 5, eff. July 1, 1997. Amended by Laws 2000, c. 231, § 4, emerg. eff. May 24, 2000; Laws 2005, c. 93, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2006, c. 211, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 2006.